First reports are in: Nikon D610 does not have any dust/oil spots

Few readers emailed me that they do not see any dust/oil spots on their new D610 cameras that already started shipping yesterday and is currently in stock. Nasim Mansurov got over 10,0000 actuation on his camera and also did not see any issues. This should not be a surprise since the only reason the D610 was released was to address the dust/oil spots reported by many D600 users.

I doubt it. Most people that say things like this don’t know how to check it.

Joseph Li

a camera with no defect that’s a great achievement Nikon! keep it up

http://stevewakeman.tumblr.com/ Steve Wakeman

LoL – True!

lorenzo

Wait; it takes a while before people find defects and as nothing is perfect for sure it will have some.
Thanks for your efforts Nikon, can you fix the D800/E too?

Joseph Li

oh no…you just killed my hopes on nikon by 50%…
hey someone shot 10k on the D610 and everything seems fine, no dust/oil, no shutter exploding, AF that jumps all over the place..and all that stuff….that’s a good start man

http://kyleclements.com/ Kyle Clements

The AF that jumped all over the place on the D600 was fixed with the C: 1.01 firmware upgrade. I can’t imagine that bug being re-introduced with the D610.

zoetmb

Nothing wrong with my D800.

patto01

Really? So you don’t have slow fps, small buffer, relative to the other problem–overly large files?
I’m just kidding. No need to get upset!

MaximusPhotography

Slow Fps ??? Small buffer!!!

Seriously!!!

the camera is design for large image format.
People should be able to compare apple to apple, you need to Compare D800 with similar cameras like Pentax or Sony who also recently released 36MP cameras…

Some comparing the D800 with 22MP cameras. Nothing wrong with them, but this camera is not designed for speed photography.

If you like more frames you can go for D610 or D3, D4, D4s…

If you like me who use large format prints you need D800 for that purpose…

When i need speed i use my Nikon D3 or Canon 5DMk3 and recently i use D610 who replaced my 5DMk3…

lorenzo

If so am happy for you. Mine, just got a week ago new, has the AF problem, but listen to this: not the famous Left one it fails on the Up one! Nikon didn’t fix the bug they just moved it.
Try to test yours too…. and good luck!

Quality Control doesn’t stop at the pre-production models. It is an ongoing process that follows a product throughout its entire manufacturing path. You are letting Nikon off the hook too easily. Chances are, they new there was a problem early on, but they decided to take a calculated risk and proceed with production. In every large company that manufactures consumer goods, there is someone calculating rate of failure and weighing the costs associated with recalls, repairs, and tarnished company image. After all, how many people have bought the D600 and haven’t used it enough to see the problem? Of those that see the issue, how many are aware that Nikon has been willing to clean or replace the sensor.erfect example, a friend of mine bought the D800 when it first came out, he has heard of the left focus point issues, and I told him how to check for it; to this day he hasn’t bothered and probably never will.

http://www.davidkasman.com/ David Kasman

I agree with your “calculated risk” assessment of Nikon’s behavior. I believe that the D600’s oil spot problem, however, was due to a design flaw, not due to shoddy manufacturing or lax quality control.

El Aura

Catching design flaws is also a job of QA (quality assurance). That’s how every complex enough mass produced product is treated; if problems are found after the actual design phase, the product is modified to fix those problems.

Jean Paul

:-))
What about D600VC for Vacuum Cleaner!
I own one too:-((

MaximusPhotography

lol They need to name it D610A as it still have the oil spot problem

SlashZero

But what shutter mechanism is being installed when you send your D600 in for repair; a D600 shutter, an upgraded D600 shutter or a D610 shutter? Will a D610 shutter fit in the old D600? iFix it tears downs new computers and phones apart to reveal the innards/components, will somebody please tear down the D600 and the D610 and put this issue in perspective. I read a post here where a Nikon Tech tore down a D4 in so few minutes…. it can and should be done.

http://Project-DNA.org/ Dani

Wondering too, if I need to send my d600 for shutter repair while they are replacing them. If I leave it, I may not be covered later when my warranty expires.

Andrew

Good question! Check with someone at Nikon, I heard that the Shutters in the D600 will be covered after the warranty, but make certain to confirm. The Nikon advisory seems to indicate that only some D600 cameras were affected. If they all of the shutters with known defects, then the typical response in the industry is for a product recall. But that does not seem to be the case.

Michael Sloan

Typically, you will only see a product recall if life or limb is at risk (i.e. lawyers having a field day). A product like a DSLR camera, where there is only risk for tainted images isn’t going to see a full blown recall. With the exception of the batteries and their chargers which could cause fires (i.e. D4 battery recall). Basically, it is up to the customer to make a warranty claim for repair at this point. So what isn’t known, since Nikon won’t release the information, is how many D600’s are truly affected. Chances are Nikon knows by serial number, every camera that is likely affected, based on standard practices (ISO 9000, etc.) the manufacturing industry follows. Nikon sources its parts from numerous manufacturers. The shutter assembly is probably one of those parts. From what I’ve read about the D600 issues, it a case of debris coming from the shutter blades themselves as they are actuated. Depending on how the blades are made, it could be a process issue (i.e. wrong chemical mixtures in curing process, or wrong temperatures in oven baking process, or wrong assembly process.). Maybe the third party manufacturer was just adding extra oil to the blades due to excessive friction they were seeing. Somebody knows, but Nikon sure as hell isn’t telling, or acknowledging, or recalling. If they acknowledged the problem, they would probably be legally bound by many states and countries warranty laws, to pursue a recall.

Andrew

Your thoughts on the issue are quite interesting and it expands upon the mystery. The only thing I do not agree with is your statement that Nikon has not acknowledged the problem – as I have argued repeatedly referring to their February 2013 advisory.

Without taking anything away from your excellent though process on the issue which is quite insightful, the fact is that anyone buying a high end camera ultimately tests the product by the pictures they are taking. People who have purchased and used the D600 cameras fall into two groups. One group says their camera is working perfectly. Another group says they had the oil problem for which Nikon was finally able to equip their service centers with the tools to replace the defective shutters. Before that solution was available, all Nikon was able to do was to clean the shutters multiple times as was reported months ago. So where does that leave us?

Well, the D600 issue has been widely reported. Nikon did acknowledge the problem. A solution has been available for months. There are professionals who bought the D600 on day one and experienced no problem! So it is not as easy as Nikon saying certain serial numbers are fine since that will imply incorrectly that all cameras with prior serial numbers were affected. So if this is the case, why is the issue still prevalent in most peoples minds? I think it is because in part (1) people love bringing the topic up, (2) there are a lot of refurbished D600 cameras, (3) Nikon has just released a new version (D610) within one year of the previous version release, and (4) because of how Nikon handled the entire issue.

As others have said, Nikon should have been ahead of the issue and not kept silent when the reports started coming in that there was oil spots accumulating on the sensor. What this did is best described by your response, it fed our curious natures for information and turned the entire issue into a big mystery. And from the mystery, the debates ensued. This whole thing has become our version of reality TV. But in the end, I am glad we are getting a better version of the D610. It is likely that the focus the entire issue gave to the shutter mechanism which is an important component in any SLR camera will benefit all future cameras that Nikon manufactures.

Michael Sloan

You are absolutely right, my thoughts are pure speculation which expands on the D600 mystery. A mystery that never should have been, if Nikon would have just come out and said, “It has come to our attention that several customers have identified an excessive amount of dust and oil spots on our D600 DSLR camera. We are currently working with our service centers to determine the breadth of this issue, its root cause, and work towards a satisfactory solution for our customers. Thank you.”

Instead, we were given their sorry excuse that you tout as their acknowledgement of the problem. The way the service advisory is written, “random spots on their images which is generally attributed to the natural accumulation of dust,” it is applicable to every DSLR Nikon has ever made! This is hardly an admission of a problem.
Oh, and the solution is to bring your camera to a service center, often numerous times, to try and get resolution. I know I would be mad as hell if I had to take my D4 in every couple of weeks, thus I can definitely understand the frustration the D600 owners have had.
I believe your assessment of the various groups of people and the four points you made about the problem, have some merit. The internet rhetoric is probably stoked by the competitors, as well as users who felt jilted after spending their hard earned cash on a product that let them down; not to mention the company behind the product letting them down by their handling of a “natural” phenomenon.

Nikon claims ISO 9001 for their quality control division. http://www.nikon.com/about/csr/nikon-csr/quality-control/index.htm And I have no doubt about that claim. The ISO 9000 series certifications is all about documenting procedures, processes and quality management systems. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9000
One of the many benefits of having a great ISO certification program in place, is to be able to quickly conduct “root cause analysis” in manufacturing as problems arise.
Most companies who implement ISO 9000 series programs, insist that all of their partner vendors have the credentials as well. So for example, if Nikon outsourced the production of the shutter assembly, which it sounds like they did, then there should be a document trail which identifies the lot numbers of parts which were put into the various D600’s, by serial number. I’m only vaguely familiar with the ISO 9000 certifications, thus I don’t claim to know for certain how many tiers of manufacturing documents from the various source vendors needs to be kept. But having worked in the Aeronautical machining industry, I can tell you we had to keep records on everything from chemicals used in the cleaning baths, to calibration records for instruments, to oven temperatures. If there were material failures in aircraft parts, the FAA requires the industry to be able to quickly find and resolve the root cause.
In other industries, where life and limb isn’t at risk, there are other financial benefits to the efforts behind ISO 9000. For example, Nikon was quickly able to identify the D4 batteries which needed to be recalled, and many were caught before they made it into the distribution channels, thereby saving transportation costs. This was the reason for the initial high prices of these batteries and the long waiting periods to get them.
If Nikon is NOT implementing these same quality control manufacturing processes across all their products, I would be highly surprised. This is the main reason I am very suspect of their lack of full disclosure, the fast tracked incremental product update, and their complete mishandling of the issue.
As you point out, this fiasco will surely benefit all future cameras that Nikon manufactures, as they hopefully learn from their mistakes. However, one mistake they continue to make is their handling of faulty products, and Nikon can’t afford to have their customer base beginning to second guess their purchases as a possible mistake. I’ve heard it all to often before from current Nikon owners and potential buyers, “I’m going to take the wait and see approach before I buy product X from Nikon. I’ll wait to see what the forums, and review sites have to say first.” In the long run, buyers hesitance and a tarnished company image is going to more costly, then had they just been truthful and fixed the problem. Most buyers have respect for a company that acknowledges their mistakes and makes good on them; that is what earns you brand loyalty, something Nikon can use in this declining market!

Alwyn

How exactly did Nikon ‘acknowledge’ the problem? If you read their advisory it states that dust is normal and that in ‘rare’ cases where users have experienced an issue where it is difficult to clean it must be sent in to Nikon for inspection. This is not an acknowledgement. Nowhere has Nikon acknowledged anything in their politician speech. Have they explained the source of this problem? No. Have they acknowledged the design flaw? No. So they have not acknowledged anything at all. You have to send it to them at your expense. Yes you can clean it yourself, but whilst under warranty you’re opening another can of worms

SlashZero

I just got my D600 back a week ago, I was pretty close to one year owned. Nikon asked for a picture of the dust. They then ok’d me to send it in which I did with my notation saying; “internal gunk/debris on the sensor, difficult to clean”. Nikon deleted my words and inserted their words, stating ” dust “. The camera came back to me in two weeks, new shutter, cleaned inside and out, a much cleaner sensor, checked AF etc. Today 150 shots after repair I’ve got spotting that shows up in the blue sky under normal f8. To the folks who say just clean it, I’ve got something to say to you, this is not normal, It gets old real fast, and over cleaning your sensor is not recommended for the sensor or the owner. I’ve also got something to say to Nikon but not here OK Good luck to all the frustrated out there. There are a few possible explanations but I think we’re getting closer to an answer.

Alwyn

Only Nikon fanboys will tell you dust is normal. I shot with a well used 5d mark ii recently and there was NO DUST SPOTS. I just wish ppl would stop their defense of this piss poor excuse for a company that Nikon has become. Once upon a time I would have recommended Nikon, not any more

Ptluzzi59

I don’t think you ever recommended nikon to anyone ever. i think all you have ever owned were canons (2 tops) and you come here insulting people with your “fanboy” remark! This is a nikon site so why are you here? commenting on a oil issue on 1 model that they don’t even sell anymore?? Is there nothing to complain about on the canon site? or were you banned from there also? maybe you don’t even own a camera and are just a troll? (thats my guess).
move along son there is nothing here for you to see!

Alwyn

For your information I have owned a D90, D300 and now the D7000. Last time I checked they were indeed Nikon. And as far as my ‘insult’, it’s only an insult if the shoe fits. I can’t understand guys like you who defend companies and their crap just because you own a product of theirs. And yes, label me as a troll just because I refuse to accept the slide in Nikon’s quality control as of late. You probably work for Nikon, that’s why you get so defensive. If you do, then sort your shit out…it’s not like we don’t pay for our gear. Canon is not without issues, but at least they acknowledge their shit, unlike Nikon. I guess it’s how you handle the issues that show what kind of company you are. And lastly, I can visit any site I please and you my dear sir will not stop me. I am a customer and I shall have my voice heard

Mike

I had the same issues / brought my D600 into my place of purchase twice, on the third time they agreed it should go back to Nikon for a cleaning, it took the whole month of Nov. finally got it back I took about a dozen pics and there it was same issue. Took it back to place of purchase again and they contacted Nikon which advised them to simply exchange my D600 for a new D610.
so i think if you push hard enough Nikon will exchange for D610.
And FYI D610 so far no issues, love this camera.

Hilary

Unfortunately, I got the d610 in replacement of the d600 and have almost as many oil spots on my sensor

disgusted in Wisconsin

Are you finding them in RAW? I did not see them until started shooting in RAW+Norm jpeg.

Michael

Totally agree. Problem with these multinationals. They don’t give a shit. If it had been brakes on a car, you would see something happen very fast. My new D610 shows exactly the same problems after 3 months. If it wasn’t because I have some pretty expensive Nikon lenses, I would have changed to another brand. And I have been a pretty large NIKON customer since 1967.

Joseph Li

That’s a mystery in the black box. The service order says “shutter mechanism replaced”..don’t know if it’s another d600 shutter, a fixed d600 shutter, a d610 shutter…maybe a d700 shutter

patto01

I don’t care about the details like a lot of you guys so I don’t understand… Why does it matter, as long as it gets fixed?

Groosome

It matters because there are cheaper refurbished D600’s available but nobody can be sure they’re problem free because Nikon is run by pricks.

patto01

Wow! Pricks, huh? It sounds like you have no doubt, to give them the benefit of.

http://www.davidkasman.com/ David Kasman

That’s a great idea! I’d like to see those two shutter designs side by side.

knurd

Is Nikon giving a discount to D600 owners on the purchase of a 610? Or a replacement program?

http://nikonrumors.com/ Nikon Rumors

No, they won’t even admit the problem.

lorenzo

B&H has discontinued the D600.

yolo

did you read the q&a?

Nikonsniper

So they started shipping yesterday and someone already has 10,000+ shots on one?????????????

lorenzo

Some folks are privileged and fast, then at 5 fps it takes about 34 minutes to take 10K shots – if the EN-EL15 doesn’t die earlier.

Anoy

I have EH-5

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Please see my post – I specifically set the camera on timelapse to shoot many frames. The goal was to thoroughly test the new shutter mechanism

Morris

1 camera doesnt mean all the cameras, a lot of d600 owners have had no problems

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Morris, the original D600 that I tested was quite bad at this. In fact, I tested 3 samples and two of the three units were shredding dust even after several dozen actuations. A lot of people rarely notice issues with dust, since they typically shoot at very large apertures, where dust is not visible. The problem with the original D600, was that it was the low quality shutter that scraped off small particles during the exposure, causing dust to fly all over the place and eventually landing on the sensor (not the first camera to have seen this, btw). With the D610, Nikon replaced the shutter mechanism and the material used seems to be of better quality.

I know that one sample is not enough yet, which is why I am planning to test another one next week (as I’ve explained in the article). I am sure others will report on their findings pretty soon as well…

DaveyJ

You have to acknowledge that Nasim Mansurov has tested many Nikons is a very fair an unbiased manner and he deserves a lot of credit and it is a real help to buyers like myself.

Danny

Thanks for doing this Nasim.
Anyone who has visited your site knows that you are a very fairminded and rigorous tester. Unlike many other reviewers your photographs leave no doubt about your talent.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Thank you for your feedback Danny, I really appreciate it.

FredBear

Hi Nasim,
Great work. Thanks for your efforts. Really appreciated.

Can you confirm that the particles are simply dust/debris and not oil/grease (as seems to be the common complaint?).

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

You are most welcome Fred! Yes, in my case I only saw dust on the sensor – as you can see in the before/after images, some dust particles actually moved (oil splatter never moves). Now I am not saying that the D610 will be completely free of oil – if excessive lubricant was applied on the shutter mechanism, it will initially throw some oil here and there. This sort of problem does not just happen with Nikon DSLRs – any DSLR can potentially do this. But the oil problem is typically initial. Once it is cleaned after several thousand actuations, you should not see anymore oil splatters…

FredBear

Thanks for the reply Nasim!
I guess that having ever decreasing pixel sizes is going to be an increasing headache with dust.
The smaller the pixel the smaller ‘grain’ of dust that will cover and ‘block’ the pixel (the older, larger pixels would only be partially covered with a small ‘grain’ and thus allow some light through) and be obvious when ‘pixel peeping’. Added to this, any electrostatic charge on the smaller ‘grains’, coupled with their lower mass, is going to make shaking it off with in-camera dust systems more difficult.

cgw

Mansurov based his sweeping “no dust” verdict on ONE camera? Any sample size issues here??? We simply won’t know until thousands of D610s are in consumers hands for several months.Perhaps they’ll verify his findings but till then the jury’s out on any possible D610 dust issue. Nothing at all scientific about his methods or the results he’s trying so hard to pass off as conclusive. In short, “not proven.”

KnightPhoto

So let me understand:
– Mansurov should not have posted his result then?

Lemme see, Mansurov gets his camera, tests the crap out of it, and reports what he found. I call that a useful, helpful, and valuable service on his part. He was completely up front about having tested the one camera he received and that he will do so when he receives his second body as well. You seem to be taking an awful lot of issue on a simple choice of wording.

I get it, you don’t like the data… or maybe you’re one of those guys that doesn’t like any data, sort of like Stephen Harper or George Bush Don’t let any pesky facts get in the way of a strongly held conclusion.

cgw

The only datum Mansurov could offer was, “My D610’s sensor isn’t cruddy.” To then conclude there’s no problem at all based on a sample of exactly one camera strectches it a bit. But then maybe you, like Mansurov, doesn’t see the problem here. Fanboy “science” at its best.

Will

“The problem with the original D600, was that it was the low quality shutter that scraped off small particles during the exposure, causing dust to fly all over the place and eventually landing on the sensor.”
I’ve been looking for an explanation of what the problem was for this camera. Can you provide links to the source of this information?

Alwyn

Hi Nasim, you mention “not the first camera to have seen this, btw” What other camera had this issue and if it was another manufacturer, what was their response? It seems as though Nikon’s response is what infuriated people as they never acknowledged the design flaw at all. One has to send the body in at cost to the owner

103David

Oh, come on, buddy. You think you need anything more than a piece of gaffer tape to hold the shutter button down to get 10K shutter activations within 24 hours? It would take a lot less time than that. But it would be interesting to tape the release down for 24 hours and see what happened then. 48 hours? Two weeks? A month? Or just find out how long activation to destruction would take.
I’ll bet Nikon already knows the answer to that question.

“I actually wet-cleaned the sensor once with a swab before
starting the procedure. My very first picture showed a moderately sized
particle on the sensor, which probably got there during shipping or while I was
mounting the lens, so I decided to clean it. The particle was removed, but the
swab left some micro dust on the sensor.”

Does this mean that a person must clean the D610 sensor prior to using it?

n11

No it means they screwed up. Best way to avoid dust is to always keep your lens on. Not a realistic situation, switch indoors, camera facing down, embrace it within your wall of a body to avoid wind particles, and do it quickly. This person may not have known how to do it properly either :/

this_isnt_real

it doesn’t matter if you never switch lenses, if you use a zoom lens you are always drawing in dusty air unfortunately

http://nanchatte.wordpress.com Graxxor Anandro Vidhelssen

You mean, if you use zoom lenses without Internal Focussing. INternal focussing move internal lenses and do not suffer breathing problems.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Any lens, whether zoom or prime will naturally “breathe”. When you focus with a prime, some elements within the lens must move, which requires air. It is not like those elements float within defined space. Look at the back of every lens you own and you will either find a movement rear element, or small holes that let the air in/out. Some lenses will breathe on the side or front of the lens instead of the rear, but there is almost always an opening. Why do you think lenses develop fungus overtime when stored in humid environments? If it was vacuum, no living organ would be able to survive there. The only lenses that do not have moving elements are teleconverters and even those typically have small openings here and there.

http://nanchatte.wordpress.com Graxxor Anandro Vidhelssen

To answer the points… On the contrary, some lenses do indeed have fixed front and back elements with only a floating internal element for zooming and focussing within a “defined space” (sic).

So, moving does not necessarily equate to changing volume.

The airholes in lenses with fixed front elements and without rear moving elements are there to relieve pressure differentials.

if all lenses breathe, how do Nikkor UW lenses work?

And finally, please read the preceding comments before commenting, the comments were about lenses sucking dusty air into the camera,nothing more. Such lenses could not be environmentally sealed on cameras such as the d7x00 to name just one, which can work in the rain and even on a sea blown boat.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

I have been cleaning sensors for many years now, so I know a thing or two about doing it properly Please read my notes above – small dust particles are very normal on digital sensors. It is the big ones that are most distracting. You could clean up a sensor well, but you need more than a couple of swabs to do the job – gets expensive and impractical.

Maji

Nasim,

Some times it is best to ignore these naysayers. Please keep up your good work.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

And it doesn’t matter how much you try – dust will always find its way onto the sensor. Even focusing moves elements within a lens, causing lenses to “breathe”.

DaveyJ

As a field mounting technique this is well written and we’d better all follow this or face the consequences. n11 an EXCELLENT post. And of course Nasim is right that there are other sources of dust. I was shown very patiently by a camera store owner (not a salesman) exactly how he cleans shutters. It was a very valuable lesson and helped me a LOT! n11s field mounting technique helps lots though. I worked in high level computer manufacturing years ago and the clean rooms were amazing and way beyond what a private photographer could ever achieve or NEED. I would also comment though when I switch lens in the field there is often no indoors to retreat to.

KnightPhoto

Which only means we are all going to get dust regardless of camera… so knowing how to clean is part of the drill. But yeah, FX with the 2.4-times bigger sensor exacerbates this, my FX cameras have always needed more cleaning.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

No, in this case there was a big blob on the top right side of the sensor, probably a result of shipping/handling. I tried to blow it out with a rocket blower, but it didn’t work, so I had to wet-clean it with a sensor swab. I only did one swipe and ended up leaving very small / micro dust spots on the sensor. They were barely visible even at f/22 – but once I took the file to Photoshop and boosted the levels to their max, even the small stuff showed up.

Dust is a very normal fact of life with any digital camera – whether DSLR or mirrorless. In this case, the good news is that 10 thousand actuations did not add up to the small dust particles on the sensor!

Imperious Images

Any word on aperture control in Live View? I’ve been searching since it’s been released but haven’t gotten a clear answer.

manual checker

no, it’s not fixed, you can find more details in the actual manual of the D610, aperture change in live view video mode is not supported

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Nope, still the same problem – verified it today.

KnightPhoto

Reminder this is a hardware issue and requires a second dedicated device to move the aperture lever independent of the shuttle/mirror. D800/D4 have this second dedicated device.

This still leaves me with a bitter taste. I’m trying to ignore it and move n but I’m still annoyed with Nikon. My D600, purchased in Oct ’12, exhibits oil spotting/debris and while I have the proper wet cleaning kits, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet; I also don’t really want to risk voiding the 2 yr warranty. I plan to take the camera for service (about an hour drive to the service centre) but it sounds like this will be an unwelcome reoccurring exercise.

While I understand that tech moves quickly, I certainly was not expecting to see a new 600-series model released one year later; especially not one whose sole reason for release is to fix a pretty obvious flaw that should have been acknowledged by Nikon as such. I might not make a living with my camera but it still annoys me that I might be stuck with a sensor that requires excessive maintenance. Thanks to Nikon, the resale value of my camera has been greatly affected too; I wonder how hard it would be to sell my D600 down the road if I decide to move up to a D8xx (or Canon.)

If I decide to move on from my D600, I will have to seriously evaluate whether my next camera purchase will be a Nikon (I’ve had Nikons since my N65.) I have a hard time supporting companies that treat customers this way.

I think Nikon would garner a lot of good will from affected D600 users if they offered an upgrade path to the D610 or at least offer to upgrade the shutter for free (or even for a reasonable fee.)

DaveyJ

Totally right you are!! What in the blazes is Nikon thinking???

http://nanchatte.wordpress.com Graxxor Anandro Vidhelssen

It will never happen. If they admit to the fault, they would be liable to recall every camera. My D7000 also has the same problem. They even made me pay for the clean.

Angry

This is exactly my feeling! I bought my D600 in sept ’12. I noticed the spot problem very quickly unfortunately. Since, I had my camera serviced 3 times by Niko Pro Services, problem always comes back after a couple of 100 shots.

Cleaning the sensor does NOT resolve the problem. But unfortunately, Nikon has no ears to my problem.

I am not going to take this any more. It’s very clear that there was a production issue: see the D610.

Well, if they could fix it on the D610, they certainly can fix it on my D600. There is no way, I’m gonna let Nikon get away with this that easy !!!

vadams127

In my case Nikon has given me a pathway to D610. My D600 has had 2 shutter replacements and on my third service submission they offered me a new D600 replacement or a refund. My refund is due this week and I will pull the trigger on the D610 soon as I get it. I am sticking with Nikon! Still have my Pentax gear though.

syd

I’m now 100% convinced Admin works for/is sponsored by Nikon. Whilst I don’t doubt the claim, such a fast turn around is beyond belief!

http://z7photo.com/ Csaba

Reading comprehension? Nasim did 5 time lapses amounting to 10000 actuations – what’s so unbelievable about it? the d600 got oil/dust spots after a couple of hundred…

FredBear

Because it’s one sample. Some reported the D600 had grease splatter from the outset, some very much later on and some said it didn’t have it at all. Thus one swallow duth not a summer make.

http://nikonrumors.com/ Nikon Rumors

And I am 100% convinced that you are Elvis

Syd Presley

Truth comes out about both of us! Ah thank ya very much…..

ffaabb

Where are the rumors ?

syd

Scientific method where n=1 is not scientific method. I fully comprehend that guv!

DaveyJ

I can only assume you think Nasim Mansurov should buy enough Nikons for a statistically valid sample? The outfits who review cameras and lens like DXO Mark hardly test enough cameras for such a rigorous test. Now here as a scientist I am going to assume Nikon itself tried quite a few shutter mechanisms and KNOW they are OK.

The real question should almost be are there ANY other improvements? Apparently here the answer is no. I checked out the new body. One camera only by the way. I saw NO IMPROVEMENTS of features I felt needed improvement when I saw the D600. This does clearly prove that the D610 is a fix the shutter model, but does have the faster Expeed 4 processor. But so does the D5300. At least I am convinced this shutter mechanism problem will not resurface on yet another Nikon.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

And that’s why I am planning to test another unit next week and wait and see to get some reports from our readers. This is my result from testing a single unit and it looked good, so I thought it would be good to share it.

I AM BANNED

That’s been obvious for a long time. Not so much Nikon Rumours as Nikon PR!!

FredBear

I Am banned – Now we know why

DaveyJ

This is quite uncalled for. We all most all here KNOW that NR is not sponsored or endorsed by Nikon. I wonder if they even pay much attention to NR but they SHOULD!!!! Also note that NR has taken a hardcore stance on Nikon’s D600 problems and it is NIKON that has taken a secretive and denial approach to this. Actually I believe that NR is becoming more and more necessary for me and fellow Nikon owners and prospective buyers to check out BEFORE a Nikon purchase.

Michael Sloan

Perform a Google search for Nikon and Nikon Rumors comes up in the top 10. I have no doubt that Nikon is watching Nikon Rumors, as well as potential customers who are considering a product purchase. Nikon is aware of the web and its potential for benefits as well as detriments, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if there were board room discussions going on with charts that attempt to gauge the web rhetoric created by sites like Nikon Rumors. In fact, the web noise is probably the primary reason Nikon chose to increment the D600 to the D610 model; it was a means for Nikon to silently tell the world that if you want to buy our entry level full frame DSLR, you won’t have to worry about dust and oil spots anymore, and just in time for Christmas.

Dweeb

And before internet sites like NR you would take your defective Nikon to their service counter and they could BS you that no one else had that problem.

Morris

this camera doesnt have even 100 shots and there is already such an heavy statement ?

codeNsnap

On a side note, I gave up my wait on a D400 and pre-ordered a Fujifilm XE-2…have started to move away from Nikon APS-C to the Fuji X system..

Will think about Nikon FF when there is an D600 level FF camera with 51 point auto focus..

visionaer

there is, it´s called d800

umeshrw

He said D600 level.

KnightPhoto

Well yeah, I personally want a D800 sensor in a D4 body with 10fps and a D4 sensor in a D800 body with 5fps, and I want both cameras to have U1 through U6. And for the longest time I wanted a D3S sensor in a D700 body. But at some point, if you want to move forward on the sensor side, you have to jump on what cameras actually are available and more importantly, likely to be available in the near future.

If one is locked in to getting 51-point AF in a small body, the D800 is our choice right now. It’s not like any of these (d610, D800, D4) are unusable cameras. Unlike for example the 6D which is badly crippled in my view.

One day we might get custom fit cameras, ordered over the internet, if Thom’s predictions about internally modular cameras come to pass. E.g. D600 sensor in a D800 body or vice-versa. And of course a D5 externally modular camera would have to be pretty interesting too.

Michael Sloan

D800 in D4 @ 10FPS = D4SX, but to do this, I think Nikon will require a much faster EXPEED processor or possibly two running in parallel. A D4 in D800 @ 10FPS should also be possible, no need to compromise. Nikon could also do the same thing they did on the D700, basically only enable the higher FPS with battery grip. I imagine that much of the FPS limitation has to do with the mirror; I don’t know why Nikon can’t offer a CHx mode which would open and close the mirror in a skip fire process. i.e. Two shutter actuations to one mirror actuation at the highest speed setting, resulting in 20 fps. I personally like the idea of a lightning quick 5MP EVF and removal of the mirror altogether. In low light situations, the EVF could amplify the scene. Low light concert photographers would love this feature! “I AM WAITING” for the day that Nikon offers DSLRs “A la carte”. I suspect that is another 10 years away however. BTW, I played with the Canon 6D at Photokina 2012, and the first thing I noticed was the limitation of AF points on that model; it was two restrictive in the left and right thirds with the AF points only on the center line. The move that Nikon did with the D600 AF system (39 AF points) was REALLY stupid. That camera had enough other differentiating factors to separate it from its bigger brothers, there was no need to circumcise it further. Hell, the 5 year old D300 had more AF points, and this is what their DX audience is going to remember; the same audience they wanted to persuade to upgrade.

umeshrw

He also did say that he moved to fuji. And WILL think about Nikon FF WHEN there is an D600 level FF camera with 51 point auto focus..

http://nanchatte.wordpress.com Graxxor Anandro Vidhelssen

You’re hung up on the difference between 39 and 51 point AF? seriously?

Roger

The dusts were on the left top corner.

http://nanchatte.wordpress.com Graxxor Anandro Vidhelssen

Yeh, next to the shutter actuator. Appear on the opposite corner in photos.

Chris

I have a D600 and it has the oil spots. I’ve been with Nikon since my first DSLR, the D40, had the D90, D300s, D7000. The D600 is my first full-frame camera, I saved up and bought it when it was released at full price. I have such a bitter taste in my mouth. I honestly will never buy another Nikon product again, this a disgraceful way to handle a blatant manufacture error.

ffaabb

I think Nikon is dying. Slowly. There was this interview about 1 1/2 year ago from some representative ” we want to make cameras for videographers” hmmm where is it? Its been a while.. Can’t even do it… no magic lantern for nikon cameras either. I’m very cross I once bought Nikon and now I have all the glass, feeling kind of stuck. Disappointed..

Michael Sloan

Chris, you should write a letter (not email) to Nikon USA. You should express your brand loyalty, your enthusiasm to owning your first FF DSLR, and your disappointment in this experience with your D600. You should also indicate what you want Nikon to do about the issue, and the timeframe that you expect them to respond in. Voicing your opinion here might help you vent, but it isn’t going to get you the resolution you seek. You should also look up your State’s lemon law and product warranty information. You may find that you can return your D600 to your place of purchase, which will then force Nikon to take it back. If that is the case, include that information in your letter to Nikon USA.

Maji

Have you asked Nikon to replace the shutter in your D600? I think if you have not, you should do that first and see if that takes care of the debris problem. Otherwise you just complaining on a forum won’t help.

Good luck.

Peter

This is my story: about a month after I bought D600, I noticed oily spots on the sensor. I couldn’t return it to the merchandiser because return policy already expired. So, I sent it to the Nikon Service to get it cleaned under warranty. After receiving it back it didn’t take to long and I’ve got the same problem again. This sending back and forth to the service was going on for a while. In total my camera has been repaired four times. Last time they even replaced the shutter, but nothing has been improved. Finally, I’ve sent camera fifth time together with the letter concluded with the sentence stating that Nikon Service is unable to permanently fix the problem and I urged to replace it with the brand new device. If you read warranty text you can find exact wording: “Nikon will either fix the problem or replace it” or something like that. Since first option failed several times, it’s all right to ask (or strongly demand in my case) to execute second option.
Nikon refused to replace my unit, instead they offered a refund which I gladly accepted. I received full refund to the latest penny including tax two days before D610 announcement.

WhiteHotPhotos

This is my experience almost exactly!! I purchased my D600 last Oct. – the first time I sent it in for a cleaning was over Thanksgiving (Nov. ’12) and they made me pay for the shipping. The next time I sent it in was January or Feb. and so on & so forth – every 2 or 3 months I had to send it in because there were so many spots. After the first time they started paying for the shipping. I also got it cleaned locally 1x in early June (for $60) because I couldn’t be without it that long. In late August I returned it again and told them I wanted something MORE done than just a sensor cleaning (ie fix it or replace it). This time they replaced the shutter AND I could tell by the shutter count that they also tested it by about 5,000 shots. I had spots returning AGAIN even with the new shutter within 100 images. I contacted them again, sent more samples and they said to return it AGAIN which I did. I asked what they were going to do as the 1 yr. warranty was approaching and they said no replacement – either continue to “work on it” OR I could take a full refund – which I did. Now I am camera-less and waiting for more test results on the D610 before I buy anything. I personally didn’t think the test shots that photographyforlife.com did were all that clean.

^ Thrac – I switched from Canon to Nikon when I bought the D600 which meant I also needed a Nikon mount lens. Since I could only afford one lens (and I shoot some sports so wanted telephoto) I went for the 28-300 which was also not exactly going for chump change. (One of the reasons I switched from Canon was because I liked the range and min. focal length on this lens.) Anyway, now that I invested in this lens I am sticking with Nikon. I WILL NOT however put out more money for the D800. If the D610 also ends up being problematic I will go for the D7100 (and a 2nd lens) with the refund.

Andrew

The shots take with the D610 was after dust was introduced by changing the lens (which is normal) and the sensor was not wiped properly. This fact is clearly stated by the tester.

http://nanchatte.wordpress.com Graxxor Anandro Vidhelssen

Nikon won’t mind, because in all probability, new, fledgling customers are the ones they make the most profit on, not the occasional person like us who has expensive bodies.

DC

Here’s a thought. Did Nikon actually change the offending mechanism to the `new` 610 sensor design in late serial number D600s as a result of quality control measures? So is there any difference between the 610 and the 600 apart from the number and some software tweaks. I have a two month old 600 – 4000 shots taken and it is completely clean. I am totally happy with the quality of the images taken and love the camera. Perhaps some rich website can strip down an early and late D600 as well as a D610. Call me cynical but the whole thing looks like Nikon burying their head in the sand.

Michael Sloan

“Perhaps some rich website can strip down an early and late D600 as well as a D610. Call me cynical but the whole thing looks like Nikon burying their head in the sand. ” — More like Nikon wearing very dark sunglasses trying to keep a straight poker face as they tell you the D610 release was done to satisfy those wanting .5 fps faster shooting speeds!

DC

Yep. That .5 fps makes all the difference. Is it part of the ‘cant lose face’ attitude of the company. If they had said – look guys we screwed up, the mechanism was faulty and we will replace your shutter with a ‘new ‘ shutter. Doing that would have shown them to be a responsible company who care for their customers (ok large amount of tongue in cheek in that statement since few companies have the balls to do this since they know it will cost them money). All they have done is say – wow new camera everyone, now pay us a shed load of extra money for it and their status has been devalued in the eyes of the customers who have suffered. Sad sad sad. And now the wait for the 300mm f4 VRII – will it appear in my lifetime?

Michael Sloan

I too wait the newer 300mm f/4. I have the old one and it is absolutely phenomenal. Add VR, updated optics and coatings and it will be one HOT lens.

Nikon, I’m waiting for the D600 to D610 trade-in program (for a nominal charge, of course). Still waiting….

Helen

As we see, it is impossible to remove all visible dust from d610. It’s serious problem for me, because it looks worse than in my d600 at f/22 max contrast and clarity applied.

http://z7photo.com/ Csaba

It’s impossible to remove dust from any camera at f/22 and max clarity shadows/black adjustment! My d800 has dust at those settings after having it cleaned at the Nikon service centre.

These are micro dusts that won’t affect your photography in any way. And I say this as someone who is pushing my camera to its limits. I do long exposures with rather narrow apertures and product photography where going above the diffraction limit is often necessary. I shot products yesterday at f/16 against white background, and the images are completely clean. However, if I go up to f/22 and tweak in LR I’ll see dust spots. And this is the d800 that has no reported dust problems.

I suspect even a brand new camera from any manufacturer would show micro dust at those ridiculous settings.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Absolutely agreed. Micro dust is almost always there, even with very thorough wet cleaning. If you cannot see much at f/16, there is no point of trying to look for it at f/22, as you will surely find something on even brand new DSLRs. And this happens across the board – Nikon, Canon, Fuji, etc.

cliff

…………

J. Dennis Thomas

While I don’t doubt that the D610 will be spot free (at least from shutter debris), I find Mansurovs highly suspect when it comes to his “reporting”. I doubt that he actually ran a 10,000 shot test. The after image is stripped of EXIF data and he’s “reported” some hoaxes to garner clicks in the past.

He’s got a nice site, he’s good at SEO optimization, but as a photographer he’s no more a photography expert than the most casual Nikon user. Basically he’s another Ken Rockwell.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

Dennis, thank you for your feedback. It is an honor to be compared to someone like Mr Rockwell

As for the tests, I would be happy to send you the original images with their full EXIF data. In fact, if you contact me, I would be happy to send you the actual 1 minute .MOV videos from the 1800 click timelapses that I ran on the camera.

As for the “hoaxes” I only reported on the D400 when one of our readers sent me the info. Since then, I made a personal promise not to get involved in making such posts and leaving rumors to rumor sites

cgw

Nothing in Mansurov’s “methodology” is reassuring. The results are inconclusive because the sample(one camera)is too small. As such, Mansurov should either withdraw this “report” as unsubstantiated or restate it as his opinion–not fact. But then that wouldn’t do much for his SEO concerns. I’m OK with private opinions–it’s the private facts I can’t take.

KnightPhoto

See Thom’s article on how to distinguish Oil Splatter, from Dust, from D600 debris:

That looks more like Oil not dust, and as Roger mentions would need to be on the top-left corner.

Here’s my D4, it needs to be cleaned today:

James

Sure looks to ME like the problem is still there. He said he had to do an initial cleaning because of big flecks of debris (old problem, check), and I see lots of specks, primarily located in the upper left-hand quadrant. This is precisely what I was seeing on my D600.

http://photographylife.com/ Nasim Mansurov

James, there was a big spot that I could not remove with a rocket blower, which is why I decided to wet clean the sensor, As for the smaller dust specks, the important thing to note is the before and after with 10K actuations – there was no additional dust added to the sensor. If I did the same test on my D600 initially, it would have had a very busy sensor just after a few hundred clicks…

Rich Murray

“this could rule out the possibility of the dust coming for outside”
Not necessarily. A lens being worked, particularly a zoom, makes an inefficient bellows, but a bellows none the less.

gimarbazat

I have a d600 with 9000 clicks and NO dust issues!

Can’t Believe It

This is the reason I still use my D200. It just keeps shooting and doesn’t give me trouble and when processed with LR4 and CS6 the pictures are amazing. For video I’m getting ready to buy a $1,000 or $1,200 video cam. If I play my cards right, I’ll never have to buy another camera in my lifetime.

Mansgame

Well I hope you enjoy the beauty of ISO 400.

the joker

nikon d610 is the result of all nikon d600 returned to nikon hahaha! they just refurb and change the sensor and voila!! d610!

Jd2008

So a brand new $2k camera right out of the box required wet cleaning of the sensor, which will void the warranty, can someone please tell me why this is acceptable?

If the dust find it way on the sensor while mounting the lens, shouldn’t it be easily removed with a rocket blower?

If not, it’s like…you just spend thousand of your hard earn money on a brand new car, but there’s dust on the windshield, which is normal for a car to have, and once in awhile you should clean your windshield to keep it clean. But this dust that came with camera can not be remove easily, to get rid of it you will have to buy a special cleaning kit, but if you use this special kit on your brand new car, it will void all the warranty on your brand new camera… to me only idiots will think this is acceptable.

It’s just another unethical marketing scam sponsored by Nikon, Mansurov manage to put 10K clicks on a brand new camera just a day after official shipping date? I’m wondering where he buy his camera from, if not directly from Nikon in advance for free.

Mansgame

It’s not. Write Nikon and let them know.

Jd2008

Any negative post about this camera will get deleted right away, even if it’s facts. Don’t believe me, try it for yourself. Oh and a BIG FAT EFF to the DUMB A** that deleted my earlier post.

wrbphotography

Nikon should just recall all D600 and give owners the D610 as an apology

Chris Bilodeau

I dunno. I have been reading endless complaints about this dust issue. I come here all the time, but I never post. I am a wedding ‘Tog and generally shoot f/1.8 to f/4. I average f/2.8 and with group photos maybe f/5.6-7. I never notice dust. But, I know I have had to retouch a bunch out at times if I shot a landscape/sky at like f/12 or something.

I just checked my D3 tonight and my sensor is FILTHY. I mean horrid. Probably like 50 dust particles and some large. It has been a year since the sensor has been cleaned.

The point is, try to spend more time shooting and enjoying the actual moments you are capturing rather than wasting energy shooting your white wall at f/22 and then pixel peeping. Sensors get dirty. Some get oily. MOST issues are only noticed at very small apertures.

I decided to grab a refurbished D600 today since the prices are dropping and $500 savings on an FX for another backup to my D3 is just too good to pass up. I’ll just shoot. If I see a big blob of something, I’ll ignore it until it ruins every image…then I’ll just take 5 min to clean the sensor and move on. I really think people are out of control with this issue. I should have saved the photo of my D3’s sensor and you would all think I’m nuts to let it get that dirty. It looked like my white floor in the kitchen with 2 little kids that never take off their shoes. My 2 cents.

Mansgame

Instead of lecturing the rest of us, how about you mind your own business. Not all of us shoot at f/1.8 and believe it or not, there is legitimate reason to use f/11 and f/16. Ever shot anything at macro? Even f/22 isn’t enough which is why macro lenses go well beyond that.

Your D3 is over 5 years old and by your own admittance it was cleaned last year. D600’s are filthy after 50 shots of being brand new. I’ve had mine cleaned several times and they DO ruin every photo that involves a sky or neutral background. So yeah, STFU.

Haley Aetus

Nikon were so embarassed at the continuing, unresolvable 10 month condition of my D600 sensor they replaced the camera – and guess what – 1600 shots and the sensor has over 60 marks!!!!! It’s filthy and really unusable. Nikon’s design, quality control of assembly and subsequent consumer PR was atrocious. Pity coz otherwise it is a great camera.

Will

Thank God for all the amateurs, whiners, and Canon Fanboys who’ve complained about dirt on the D600. I can now buy this wonderful camera for under $1500 and all I have to do is clean it once in a while.

Dhy Strike

Just sold my D7100 and planning to buy a D600, but I’ve check the price difference between the D600 and D610 here in Dubai and it isn’t that much. Going for the D610 before the month ends.

film

fast Question..Does do you have aperture control in live view mode?

Hilary Stephens

I just downloaded 1000+ images from the my brand new d610 and am devastated because there are 1000s of oil spots! Did Nikon repair the problem or not – seems NOT!

T53

I was just now reading the comments on Amazon from D610 buyers and quite a few are reporting oil and dust spots on their brand new just out of the box cameras. Very disconcerting. I was under the impression Nikon had finally fixed this problem but apparently they have not.

Michael

Sorry to spoil your enthusiasm. I am one of those, that was given a D610 instead of the D600 which had the problems with spots.
Now after 3 months, the D610 has got exactly the same problems, and I am getting real tired of spending time on cleaning images and getting bad service from NIKON.
The cameras are made in a production facility in Thailand, and something is really wrong.
The picture I am uploading has got a lot of spots, and they are exactly the same I experienced with the D600. I had to use 30 Healing Brush clicks in Photoshop to clean it. And I am sorry to say, that life is too short for spending so much time. I have never had any spots on my previous models D80 and D90.

Disgusted in Wisconsin

just sent my 610 back today for ‘cleaning’ as it has spots…

Alwyn

@ptluzzi59 I currently own a D7000 which last time I checked my little fanboy, is a Nikon. You assume a lot & you know what they say about assume… So, just because a manufacturer doesn’t make a certain model any more means what…affected users should just forgive, forget & move on? Not so fast Speedy. They have a responsibility. Funny how guys like you call guys like me a troll just because we expect a certain level of care from a manufacturer when we give them our hard earned cash

Shawn Earle

I would like a D610 to compliment my D3200, but i just don’t know? The fact remains that Nikon shipped out many defective D600’s and refused to make it right when they were caught with their pants down! I’m sure the Eos 6D from canon is just as good a camera and i’m having a difficult time making the choice! Although i’m pretty sure my 3 D3200 lenses would work on the D610?

MaximusPhotography

I have 50+ Oil spots on Nikon D610 Sensor after 1600 shots… All details i published in this article :

I have been shooting the d610 for almost 3 months and I am getting oil spots. I have tried using the Belkin cleaning kit on several occasions and cannot get rid of the spots. I love the camera, but this is a real pain. I have sent in an inquiry to Nikon and am awaiting a response.